Okinawa cofounder Jeetender Sharma says many warned him about the viability of electrical cars in India
With manufacturing gadgets in Rajasthan, Okinawa has 8 versions of electric scooters
Lack of infrastructure best an obstacle to electric powered vehicle adoption, in line with Okinawa’s Sharma
“People think that lack of infrastructure is the biggest mission for the adoption of electric automobiles in India, however, this is handiest in the case of four-wheelers,” stated Jeetender Sharma, cofounder of Okinawa Autotech.
Sharma’s notion stems from the reality that detachable batteries are becoming an increasing number of popular amongst EV -wheelers. He likens it to users charging a phone or some other device at home. With a focus on battery swapping and charging the replaceable battery packs at any electric plug, Okinawa Autotech is seeking to flood the marketplace with its EV two-wheelers over the next couple of years.
“The scooters have a detachable battery that may be charged as without a doubt as a cell phone at homes.”
As a mechanical engineer and with over a decade of enjoy with Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, Sharma set up Okinawa Autotech in 2015 in conjunction with Rupali Sharma with the aim to break the parable that electric powered vehicles cannot compete with petrol and diesel -wheelers in phrases of overall performance, pace and reliability. Along the way, it also realised that it desires to clear up the mindset of Indian purchasers of trying as plenty value as feasible and no longer wanting to spend greater to change their conduct.
“I visited this island in Japan known as Okinawa which is understood for its 0-pollutants environment. This experience labored as an proposal to begin something that would make contributions to growing an green environment in India,” stated Sharma.
Okinawa factsheet
With two production units in Rajasthan, Okinawa has 8 variations of electric scooters. The employer prides itself on its patented battery production machine this is sponsored by way of artificial intelligence, device studying, and the Internet of Things ecosystem. It has made manufacturing a key target for itself with massive investments in 2019.
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In June 2018, the electric -wheeler maker also ran a ‘Praise De Himalaya’ marketing campaign. The event became aimed toward growing consciousness about the functionality of electric automobiles and Sharma attributed its achievement to the use of detachable high-overall performance batteries.
Okinawa claims sales of INR one hundred fifty Cr in FY19 and expects income to remain regular in the contemporary financial yr as well. So a long way Okinawa is self-funded and has a PAN-India presence and has plans to release a gender-neutral motorbike within the close to destiny.
“We these days released PraisePro with a removable battery, which would ensure clean charging. We also came up with an anti-robbery battery machine which allows the battery to get locked in, as a result fending off any robbery. Hence, we were taking steps to offer products which can be green in each way,” said Sharma.
Tailoring EVs For The Indian Consumer
As India bets high on small motors for less complicated adoption of EVs, the marketplace is witnessing an inflow of more individuals. The growing number of businesses, however, is not deterring Okinawa’s Sharma who believes that the electrical vehicle marketplace has no competition due to the fact there’s so much to tap nevertheless that the EV enterprise will develop exponentially within the following few years. “If you notice, at present, the marketplace size is so huge that there's area for absolutely everyone. You best need to provide precise merchandise with the right technological innovation.”
Entering a marketplace wherein the customers are skeptical or hesitant approximately the product comes with characteristic demanding situations.
“I become suggested no longer to challenge into this space as EVs are hard to sell however in case you understand the customer and take movement in keeping with that then nothing can prevent you.”
Change in customer attitude, in-residence battery manufacturing, and green supply chain management pose demanding situations for the EV region. But Sharma believes that better adoption of electrical cars will take away those hurdles routinely. And the most effective manner to catalyse adoption is by way of tackling the range anxiety and the want for charging infrastructure in the meanwhile.
Various industry individuals in advance expressed their situation on the authorities’s lacking mention of electric automobiles inside the latest Union Budget. Among the foremost concerns raised by the industry, the number one one is round nationalised banks now not extending loans to EV startups over their belongings. Secondly, there's a big postpone within the subsidy fund disbursal underneath section 2 of FAME. In addition, the EV makers had demanded to reduce the GST on lithium-ion batteries from 18% to 5%, This may want to lessen the price of electric bikes by means of almost 10%.
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Naturally, Okinawa may also see the price advantages of any reduction in battery cost, however there’s a protracted manner to head for the industry earlier than the authorities makes this take place. Sharma believes that the personal sector by myself can not have enough money to build an infrastructure that would cope with the requirement of hundreds.
“It is motivating to peer the government announce ambitious objectives and rules which can be favouring the mobility revolution. At the client level, if we see the EVs are economically feasible inside the longer run. Over the period that is sure to push the call for inside the market,” he brought.
Okinawa claims to have a running cost of 10/20 paisa per Km. Highlighting the propensity of Indian purchasers to look at approaches to keep in each little way. “You regularly pay attention the word, ‘Yeh dekho, cycle wala aage nikal gaya.’ The Indian consumer is extremely variety-conscious and we understood that.”
